They've retired from drag!
While most LGBTQ+ artists who appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race have their drag careers catapulted to new heights, not all of these contestants are interested in doing drag forever.
Over the years, many former contestants (and even winners!) have retired from their drag careers as a result of their performance on Drag Race and/or due to the response they received from fans. In other cases, they simply chose to pursue new endeavors and focus on different career paths, hobbies, and art expressions.
Whatever the case may be, certain queens did give up on doing drag after appearing on Drag Race, which is something that most fans aren't entirely aware of. While people like Jaremi Carey (formerly known as Phi Phi O'Hara) have briefly retired their drag personas but occasionally went back to exploring the art form, other Drag Race contestants have fully left drag behind them and haven’t looked back ever since.
Scroll through to find out which former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants have quit drag since appearing on the show.
Rebecca Glasscock ('Drag Race' Season 1)
Despite being the ultimate underdog of RuPaul's Drag Race season 1, the judges clearly saw something in Rebecca Glasscock given that she made it all the way to the top 3. Over the years, however, Glasscock has quit drag indefinitely.
The only exception has been a brief comeback for the finale of Drag Race season 10, which featured the season 1 queens to commemorate 10 years of the show. Nonetheless, Rebecca has ultimately retired from drag and has moved on to other endeavors.
James Ross F.K.A. Tyra Sanchez ('Drag Race' Season 2)
Despite winning the season 2 of Drag Race under the Tyra Sanchez persona, James Ross hasn’t used that name any longer for many years. The artist also wants to no longer be associated with the show in any way.
In Sep. 2022, Ross confirmed their return to the art form of drag and launched an OnlyFans account under a new name: King Tyra.
“ALL HAIL THE KING,” Ross wrote in the first post of the King Tyra OF page. “Here for nudes? LMAO! You know better than that! The King is coming back and it ain't no time for that! This probably the best d*ck pic you'll ever get! Next update in a lil bit!”
Carmen Carrera ('Drag Race' Season 3)
Longtime fans know that Carmen Carrera was very outspoken against certain elements of Drag Race. Since publicly coming out as a trans woman, Carmen has mostly left drag behind and focused on different professional opportunities. In 2023, Carmen had a brief stint back to the world of drag by being a main judge and host on season 2 of Revry’s Drag Latina.
Stacy Layne Matthews ('Drag Race' Season 3)
In Nov. 2022, Stacy Layne Matthews shared a heartbreaking Instagram post announcing that she was quitting drag for good. The season 3 star wrote:
“My last show was my last show. I've disappointed too many people. I let my mind and body get the best of me. I let fear and anxiety take over my life. I have given myself a reputation that I never had planned.”
She continued, “I’ll be stepping away from social media. Focusing on my mental health, my physical health, and my well-being. (...) Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives when there was still joy and passion in my life. Thank you for allowing me to hopefully put a smile on your face. I’ve never been the one to be ok with disappointing anyone... And before I do any more damage, it’s time I step away. If one day I decide to return, I hope there will be at least someone there to return to who still has some faith in me as an entertainer and as a human being. Until then.”
Alisa Summers ('Drag Race' Season 4)
Alisa Summers competed on Drag Race season 4 and also eventually retired from drag. As it stands, Alisa’s reasons for quitting drag, as well as their current out-of-drag status, are more unknown in comparison to other former contestants.
Kenya Michaels ('Drag Race' Season 4)
Since appearing on Drag Race, Kenya Olivera — better known by her stage name, Kenya Michaels — has come out as a trans woman and left the art form of drag in the rearview mirror. Even though she made it all the way to the top 5 on Drag Race season 4, Kenya has since retired her drag persona.
Vivienne Pinay ('Drag Race' Season 5)
Vivienne Pinay walked into the werk room of Drag Race season 5 years before The Vivienne was crowned a champion on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 1.
On the show, season 5’s Vivienne was sent home during a double sashay alongside Honey Mahogany. After the season ended, Vivienne kept a mostly low profile and eventually abandoned her drag persona.
Honey Mahogany ('Drag Race' Season 5)
Honey Mahogany still uses the same name that fans became familiar with on the 5th season of Drag Race, but she is no longer a drag queen. Since her journey on reality TV ended, Honey focused on her transition and became a political figure and activist in San Francisco. In 2022, Honey ran as a candidate for District 6 Supervisor.
Ivy Winters ('Drag Race' Season 5)
The Miss Congeniality winner of season 5, Ivy Winters, is no longer a drag performer. In recent years, Ivy has focused on other creative endeavors such as creating homemade goods and sharpening her gardening skills.
Magnolia Crawford ('Drag Race' Season 6)
Magnolia Crawford was eliminated in part two of the split premiere of Drag Race season 6. Back then, Magnolia’s drag was not well-received by the fans, and that sentiment was doubled down during the reunion special when she revealed that she hadn’t seen the rest of the season following her elimination.
In a way, it wasn’t too surprising that a very negative Drag Race experience led this artist to retire their drag persona.
Robbie Turner ('Drag Race' Season 8)
Robbie Turner had a very complex journey on her way to retiring from drag. In Apr. 2018, Robbie tweeted that she had just survived a car accident that she could barely recollect. She explained that her Uber driver did not survive the crash, but that she had somehow made it home “with barely a scratch.”
It was reported a few days later that Robbie’s car accident story never actually took place, with Uber itself chiming in that none of the company's drivers had died from a recent trip as it was described by Robbie. As a result, Turner issued an apology on Instagram and talked about regretting the things she had previously tweeted out. Since then, the season 8 alum retired from drag and never re-appeared in a public manner.
Princess Poppy ('Drag Race' Season 15)
After being eliminated from season 15 of Drag Race, Princess Poppy became very absent on social media. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Poppy opened up about her struggles with fame and revealed that she was taking a step back from drag “for the foreseeable future” in order to explore different creative avenues.
The queen explained:
“I want to fall off the face of the planet. I don’t want to be famous. I want to fade into obscurity. That’s not a bad thing. I think people put so much emphasis on success and fame, and it’s okay to not want to be famous. It’s totally valid to not want to be known by a bunch of people. That’s just not what I want. I don’t want that for my life.”
Copper Topp ('Drag Race UK' Season 4)
Copper Topp competed in the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and placed 10th overall. During her time on the show, Topp won the girl-groups challenge as the Queens of the Bone Age band alongside Danny Beard, Cheddar Gorgeous, Dakota Schiffer, Le Fil, and Pixie Polite.
On October 4, 2023, Topp shared an X post explaining that she was taking an indefinite break from drag. The Drag Race UK star wrote:
“It is with a heavy heart that I have decided that I need to take a break from drag. The last two years have been some of the hardest I’ve ever experienced and the truth is that I am not ok. In light of this, this account may be quiet for a while as I allow myself the time, space, and energy I need to work on my mental health. This decision will not affect my appearance in the Wizard of Oz, which I’m very excited for, or at DragCon 2024. I look forward to seeing some of you there, when I hope to have found my smile again.”
Eve 6000 ('Canada's Drag Race' Season 2)
Canada’s Drag Race season 2 star Eve 6000 took to social media to announce that she was officially quitting drag. Eve wrote in an X post from Apr. 3, 2024:
“I’m just going to say at this point that I’ve officially quit drag. At least as it relates to Drag Race. Drag will always be a part of my life that led me to who I am, but Drag Race isn’t something I would ever wish to personally be a part of again.”
She continued in a follow-up post, “Not like it’s big news to anyone but yeah. I’m over it for many, many, many reasons… I’m flourishing in life more than I ever have since I finally let it go a year ago.”
Ongina ('Drag Race' Season 1 & 'All Stars 5')
Ongina, one of the OG queens who competed in the first season of Drag Race, has unfortunately announced that she's "taking a breather" from working as a drag artist.
""A new chapter, but I've been here before. Something I left behind, but always wanted more," she wrote in an Instagram post. "This time, I return to it with new goals. Hoping it will bring me the happiness I yearn for. A new challenge, dare I say. But the freedom to create something new everyday."
The beloved queen added:
"I'm nervous, I'm excited but most of all I feel lifted. Excited to use the talents I was gifted. While I let Ongina take a breather, I know this new creative chapter will be better. As I look into my future I'm certain, for now, this is the right move. But I hope you'll stick around as I dance to this new beat and find my groove!"